Renée Hayek

was
born in southern Lebanon and studied philosophy at the Lebanese University
before embarking on a career in teaching and literary translation. She has published
two collections of short stories and eight novels including A Deserted Winter,
The Well and the Sky, The Land of Snow, Beirut 2002, and Days of Paris. She has
been twice longlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, in 2009
for Prayer for the Family and in 2011 for A Short Life.